Amore Dogs for Italian fun

Since this post was written, Amore Dogs has closed.

I am often asked is what is my favourite restaurant. Impossible to say. Favourite in what way? Restaurants of course have to have great food, but the ambiance and service are very important. So is the occasion. Is it to celebrate a special occasion or just a simple mid-week dinner for you and your best beloved? What sort of place do you like best? Formal, casual?

Amore Dogs Restaurant

Amore Dogs Restaurant

You’ll already know that Caroline and I are great fans of the Dogs restaurants. I personally love the laid back atmosphere, the eclectic menus (which are usually ever so slightly crumpled) and the dedication to producing good food at a great price.

I’d never been to Amore Dogs before. Recently they’ve revamped their menu to focus on Italian American food. I’m not exactly sure what Italian American food is. At Amore Dogs, a first glance at the menu shows pizzas, pastas and burgers, bagels and cheesecake. Ok, I thought, not my first choice for dining usually, but I knew it wouldn’t be a standard burger or pizza because they just don’t do things like that.

The restaurant is a spacious place on Hanover Street. On entering the first thing you see is a squidgy sofa and chairs – very welcoming – and calming. Glancing round the room sat at small groups of tables spread on 3 levels were all kinds of people and families.

Coleyslaw Burger

Coleyslaw Burger

Mr EF and I shared a starer of mushroom bruschetta. It was a generous portion and tasty, but it didn’t quite work for me. Perhaps all bruschettas should be tomato-y?

We both plumped for fish dishes. Now you might find the idea of battered fish and coleslaw an unusual combination, but the coleyslaw burger was both crispy and moist and crunchy and the fish perfectly cooked in the Dogs’ signature batter. The superbly fresh burger bun wasn’t really needed.  Mr EF thoroughly enjoyed his swordfish with a balsamic vinegar sauce. The flavoursome chips somehow stayed hot for ages, twice cooked perhaps? Mr EF, being picky, would have liked them a little crisper.

Banoffee Sundae

Banoffee Sundae

Our Aussie waitress recommended a lovely soft cabernet sauvignon. Later we overheard one of the waiters knowledgeably advising another customer on wines.

The absolute highlight of the meal, and worth going there for that alone, was the banoffee sundae. Imagine caramel-y ice cream with different crispy textures which we think were honeycomb and shortbread and meringue, toffee sauce and banana. Somehow, this was both sinful and light at the same time.

Guess who didn’t choose that dessert? I had a lovely amaretto pannacotta, but having tasted Mr EF’s  ….

So my fondness for the Dogs restaurants now includes Amore Dogs. If you like well-cooked food, a relaxed atmosphere and great staff, you’ll know where to go won’t you?
104 Hanover Street
Edinburgh EH2 1DR
0131 220 5155

 

Last updated by at .

About Bread Baker Danielle

Danielle founded Edinburgh Foody in 2010. Having qualified as a professional bread baker in France in 2014, she is now on a new adventure in Gloucestershire. Check out severnbites.com Look out for occasional posts for Edinburgh Foody

One Comment

  1. Pingback: The Finest of Brisbane Dining

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.